Liver disease is generally classified as acute or chronic based upon the duration of the disease. Liver disease may be caused by infection, injury, exposure to drugs or toxic compounds, alcohol, impurities in foods, and the abnormal build-up of normal substances in the blood, an autoimmune process, a genetic defect (such as haemochromatosis), or unknown cause(s).
Liver disease is a leading cause of death world wide. In particular, it has been seen that a diet high in fat damages the liver in ways that are surprisingly similar to hepatitis. The American Liver Foundation estimates that more than 20 percent of the population has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is suggested that obesity, unhealthy diets, and sedentary lifestyles may contribute to the high prevalence of NAFLD. When left untreated, NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) causing serious adverse effects. Once NASH is developed, it would cause the liver to swell and scar (i.e. cirrhosis) over time.
Although preliminary reports suggest positive lifestyle changes could prevent or reverse liver damage, there are no effective medical treatments for NAFLD. Accordingly, there remains a need to provide new effective pharmaceutical agents to treat liver diseases.